Yesterday I spoke about stress. Specifically, the unpredictable stress we've all be feeling since March. COVID-19 has affected many aspects of our daily lives and how we create learning environments in our programs. As adults, we can unknowingly be sharing our stress through our body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, level of participation, and activity. 

To dive deeper into how we can support children to deal with the added stress, let's rewind a bit and start by unpacking our "backpacks."

​I'm a big fan of the "backpack" concept. It's the idea that each person (children included, of course) wears an invisible backpack. In this invisible knapsack are learned behaviours and beliefs, genetic predispositions, health factors, emotional factors, and cognitive ability. Just like we see with real backpacks, some individual's backpacks are easier to carry. They are in good condition, with no broken straps or zippers. In addition to being in "better" condition, some backpacks are simply fuller than others. We can unpack "fuller" as the idea of privilege. Privilege comes in many forms, including: 

• income/social status
• race
• gender
• family dynamics/home life
• access to high-quality education
• access to high-quality health care 
• access to a community 

Each child who enters our doors each day has their own invisible backpack. When we recognize that we too have predispositions and external factors affecting our behaviour, we better support self-regulation.  

We have heard many times that stress is one of life's realities and that a certain degree of stress is important and positive; it challenges the individual to learn and grow. In addition, stress factors are unique, and adults should be sensitive to each child's stress factors, realizing that they have meaning for the child. Never trivializing a child's stress by telling the child to stop worrying, or there is nothing to worry about. (B.Pimento & D.Kernested. 2015 p. 556) Regardless of the cause (COVID-19, lack of sleep, hungry, peer issues, family dynamics, insecurity, etc.), stress management is key. Building resilience is crucial and can be understood as the ability to:

• cope well with challenges and adversities 
• persist and adapt when things don't go well

Identifying stress in children
Yesterday I provided simple examples of how children can exhibit stress. While some stress markers are easily distinguished, sometimes identification relies on caregivers' observation skills and sensitivity to the child. Identifying that a child is feeling stressed is only the beginning. Open and effective communication between caregivers and parents is critical to understanding the underlying cause(s) and deciding how to work together to support the child. 


As a refresher, here are some common ways children exhibit stress: 

• moody, sad, frequent temper tantrums or withdrawn
• Clingy. Clings to caregiver even if they have been in the program for an extended period. OR
• hasn't connected with the caregiver
• constantly worried or anxious
• The child could complain of physical aches and pains that are not easily explained, such as headaches and bellyaches. 
• development of a nervous habit such as nail-biting, thumb sucking, or twitches 
• The child seems rundown or tired a lot. 
• frequent colds 
• night terrors/nightmares
• bodily functions not working correctly (constipated, diarrhea, trouble feeding, unable to sleep or relax, or wanting to sleep all the time)
• the child self-stimulates (rocking. stimming)
• the child's development regresses 
• the child is hyper-vigilant in a constant state of "readiness." 

Suggestions for Reducing Children's Stress 
"How Does Learning Happen?" Ontario's Pedagogy for the early years defines Well-Being as; the importance of physical and mental health and wellness. Therefore as caregivers, our role is made even more critical when a child exhibits signs of stress. Developing coping skills contributes to children's self-control and feelings of self-worth. How children learn to cope with stress in their early years builds resilience they will use for their lifetime. As caregivers, we can help children understand the mind-body-emotion interconnection as there are many physical symptoms as well. By creating strategies to reduce stress, caregivers can reduce the overall stress for children in their programs. 


Creating Stress Awareness: 

• Provide a secure, calm environment. think: Routine, structure, and stability 
• Check your own emotions at the door. Children need to feel they are safe to express a wide variety of emotions and still be supported. 
• stay calm, be mindful of your voice and body language (build trust)
• recognize and respond to children's feelings, taking your cues from the child (try to respond immediately, waiting=trivializing=reduced self-worth)
• plan curriculum that supports a sense of self, feelings, child's rights and responsibilities 
• Honour each child's voice—their right to choose, participate, and express their feelings. This supports the UN Rights of the Child; it also contributes to a sense of self-control. 
• Create different areas in your program to support both group and individual play. 
• Evaluate the level of stimulation. Some children may need more stimulation, while others are highly affected by too much stimulation. 

Implore coping strategies 

• deep, slow breathing to help slow down the body
• stretching exercises (ease tight, tense muscles) 
• relaxation exercises (mediation stories)
• Practice "what if" stories. Children feel calmer about unpredictable events if they've thought about potential outcomes and solutions (age and group appropriate). For example: "what would you do if; you became separated from mommy at a store; if you saw a big dog; if there was a loud storm; if someone pushed you; if there was a fire? Etc. 
• Help children find what works best for them when they are feeling stressed. Do they need physical activity, alone time, playing with clay, listening to music, etc.  
• Support children to put their emotions into words and recognize their feelings. 
• support conflict resolution with children who exhibit social stressors 

Building Observational Skills 

To help children, we need to "know children." We need to help unpack their backpacks to understand how we can best support them. For example, a child who didn't sleep well last night and didn't feel like eating this morning will likely walk through our doors potentially unprepared to handle an adverse social situation. Knowing this, we can connect how the child's body feels to how the child reacts (or could react). Through open communication with parents, we can observe the child's daily interactions prepared to step in and support conflict resolution BEFORE it becomes an issue.

Right now, along with all the everyday stressors, we have the added stress of a global pandemic. Children are overhearing our conversations; they pick up on our worries, and they are potentially dealing with new family dynamics. As caregivers, our role in building trusting, responsive, and caring relationships has never been more important. So again, as I spoke of in yesterday's "Happy ECE Appreciation Day" post. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You need to take care of yourself and your mental health. Do not put a bandaid on your stress. Talk to someone, journal, get physical activity every day, start a hobby, or seek professional help. 


Breathe a little more Hygge into your life, 
xoxo
Kristina

            Let's take a moment to pause and reflect. 2020 has been different! New years resolutions such as being more organized, utilizing the 100+ pins on your Pinterest board, and being more active, quickly fell to the wayside of all things "COVID-19". 

​This morning, I listened to a favorite science podcast of mine while driving back from my daughter's 6:00 am gymnastics practice (it's an ungodly time of the day to be functioning). They were discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and how these impacts affect communities and businesses. 

To paraphrase,

​           The areas of our brain associated with Fight, Flight, and Freeze (the limbic system if you want to get sciency) have been triggered almost continuously since March. This increased level of cortisol and adrenaline, not surprisingly, is quite draining. The effects can be felt in many ways, and their impact can include:

• anxiety
• depression
• digestive problems
• headaches
• sleep problems
• weight gain
• memory and concentration impairment

​As a self-proclaimed recovering procrastinator, this is a struggle for me right now! 

Dear families and providers, 


The most recent announcement does not come as a surprise, as we know, our provincial leaders are following the best medical advice available at this time. As a community, we need to continue social distancing. 


Currently, seven of our home child care programs are open and operating for the sole purpose of emergency care. The provincial government is funding this care, and as such, there are specific policies and protocols in place. Families are required to apply for emergency care through Hastings County. Placements are offered based on employment priority and availability. 


At this time, all of our Emergency Child Care spaces have billed filled. Hastings County is compiling a waitlist in case another provider chooses to open their program or a space becomes otherwise available. To access the emergency child care application/survey, click here. If you have questions concerning your application or your place on the waitlist, it is recommended you call the Child Care Services intake line @ 613-771-9630 or 1-866-414-0300. 


Working directly with our local health authorities, we have created and implemented policies to mitigate risks associated with providing child care during this time. Policies including: 

• Daily active screening of all providers and their family members (in their home). 
• Baseline testing is currently being completed for all asymptomatic home child care providers. 
• Daily active screening of all child care clients and their families (whom they live with).
• Increased sanitary protocols: handwashing, cleaning toys/frequent touchpoints, remove soft surfaces such as blankets and stuffies from the playroom.
• We are reducing ratios (striving for no more than three families accessing each home child care program). 
• To learn what else we're doing, you can visit our COVID-19 page here. 

It has been roughly two months since our worlds turned upside down. There is incredible uncertainty surrounding when the economy will reopen. As an agency, we are thankful for the opportunity, although it's a little frightening, to offer emergency care to frontline workers. 
 
 To our families, child care providers and community members, "stay safe, stay healthy, and enjoy the extra family time if you're able."  


Kindest regards, 
The Little Lambs Team

Dear families, 

As many of you know, Little Lambs started as my private home daycare business in 2012. 
Opening my home to my community was a natural progression towards my life goals. 

#1. I wanted to raise my children and spend as much time with them during their early years. 
#2. I genuinely like people and enjoy meeting new families in my community. 
#3. Children are my favorite people on this planet. I find them hilarious, sincere, intelligent, capable, wonderous, full of light and imagination, entertaining, enjoyable, hopeful, honest, caring, and so much more!
#4. I want to spend my days doing something that truly matters.

Fast forward to 2020, and my life goals are strikingly similar but with a "Pivot." Instead of running and operating my home daycare business, I am running and operating a home daycare agency. Instead of serving five families in my close community, my agency has served over 200 families all over Hastings County. Through strong partnerships with many amazing women, my days are spent doing something that truly matters. 

Then BAM, like a terrible documentary COVID-19, crosses the ocean and impacts our communities. One week we're thinking, "that sucks for those people," and the next week, we're saying, "sorry we're closed." On March 17th, at the direction of our local health unit, we chose to close for what we thought would be a couple of weeks to do our part to "flatten the curve." 

There's a problem that happens when daycare centres and home child care agencies close... Our frontline and essential service workers are left without child care. At a time when everyone is scared, confused, and concerned, our medical professionals and essential service workers do not quit. They go to work because they have to, and I am thankful that they do. So, when Hastings County sent out an email to their service providers (daycare centres and agencies) enquiring if we are willing and able to provide "Emergency Care," we didn't hesitate. Little Lambs raised our hand to support those who need our help. 

So far, 25 children have been placed for Emergency Care. All of these families are persons who are working directly on the front lines: nurses,  paramedics, PSW's, nursing home staff, and community helpers. 

Reopening for Emergency Care has been different. New policies are in place to mitigate risk and keep everyone as safe as possible. Unfortunately, many of our home child care providers have remained closed. Everyone has a different level of risk within their homes. We stand behind each provider's right to choose what is best for their families. For those who decided to reopen, we are forever grateful. Together we are facing the current uncertainty and trying our best to do our part. 

COVID-19 will not last forever. Hopefully, one day soon, we can welcome back our entire Little Lambs team. We can reopen our doors to our child care clients and wish our "emergency clients" all the best as they return to their regular child care centres and programs. Until then, my life goals will remain the same. 
#1. my family 
#2. build community 
#3. appreciate the wonders of childhood
#4. make a difference   

I hope that you are staying safe and healthy. Most importantly, I hope you are seeing the positives in such a dark time. Your children will not remember the facts of this pandemic but they will remember how it felt. Help them to feel secure and loved. 

regards, 
Kristina Schwartz 

Dear Reader,
​
We are committed to supporting families in our community through this pandemic. Please know that you are not alone.  Little Lambs has an active Facebook and Instagram account and we have been busy adding links, resources and ideas to keep our providers and families busy. 

It is our hope that we will reopen our doors effective April 6th. However with increased safety protocols there will be quite a few changes. Currently we are working on a new page of our website that will discuss " all things COVID-19". There is also a very good chance that some of our providers may choose to remain closed. Each home has different risk levels and reopening is the providers choice. 

A few key points to be addressed on our new COVID-19 page:
-ratios (these are likely to change within our agency to continue supporting social distancing)
-who will qualify to return to daycare
-drop off and pick up routines/protocols 
-illness policy 
-sanitary polocies to be followed at each home child care premises 
-meal time protocols 
-types of play (eg. no group sensory play...)
-daily programming 
-types of resources (toys/minipulatives/books etc) available 
-links to social services 
-anything else we feel important to our children's and providers safety

Watch our social media feeds for updates! 
Wishing you and yours health and safety, 

The Little Lambs Team xoxo

Thank you for stopping by our blog. If this is your first time visiting I hope you enjoy our personal views for the early years. Our topics and ideas are based on years of home childcare experience mixed with a balance of theory and new ideas from around the world.

Today we're discussing how we as educators and parents can support children on their social development journey. We all know children who are born extroverts. They exude confidence and appear comfortable in any situation. In direct opposition, the introverted children in our lives do not appear confident in social situations. Often they pull away from peers and play independently. 

Home childcare programs. early-years classrooms, playdates at the park, and even individual home environments will have a mix of multiple personalities. Each child is an individual, and their individuality is to be respected. We are not "fixing" their deficits; instead, we are encouraging respectful and appropriate inclusiveness. 

I love a good child development theory. To start our discussion on supporting social development, it's only fair we go straight to Eric Erikson. Let's have a look at Erikson's first three stages. 

The common theme between the three stages is Relationships. Before children can build positive and reciprocal peer relationships, they need to build strong relationships with the core adults whom they interact with daily. These include but are not limited to parents, guardians, core educators, and caregivers. The importance of early relationships is a big reason why I love Home Child Care as much as I do. Home Daycare by it's very formation is one educator who cares for the child from infancy to school age. Whereas in a daycare centre the child is transitioned to a new room, new educator, possibly a whole new group of peers as they enter each new age group. There are a few daycares who follow the Reggio Emilia approach and keep the same educator with the same group of children as they grow from infancy to school age. Again the core value that early relationships are crucial to life long success is paramount. 

So how does this knowledge guide us to support children's social development? 

1. We need to recognize that children need to be respected inherently. The adage of "respect is earned" has no value or purpose in the early years. It's an out of date, masculine phrase degrading of a person's self-worth. Children learn how to respect adults and their peers from the way adults treat them. If the core adults in their lives are overly cynical, give harsh or degrading consequences, and undermine their ideas, it's no wonder they either "act out" or "isolate" themselves. 
   
2. Remember, children are great at imitating our actions. Modeling positive, calm, and respectful social communication with the child, their peers, and other adults is a great place to start. Here are a few great tips to remember
   
   1. engage in one-to-one and face-to-face interactions with children
   2. use a pleasant, calm voice and simple language
   3. provide warm, responsive physical contact
   4. follow the child's lead and interest during play
   5. help children understand home and program expectations
   6. redirect children when they engage in challenging behaviour (before it goes too far)
   7. Listen to children and encourage them to listen to others
   8. acknowledge children for their accomplishments and effort.  

Another practical step we can take to support social development is to intentionally plan activities and "invitations to play" that promote social interaction. 

Learning in the early years is fundamentally a social experience. As children learn about themselves and others, they strengthen their emotional intelligence, their ability to construct plans, and attend to what's important. They do all this based on the values and practices their core adults provide through daily activities. Thoughtfully planned "curriculum" supports children to develop these skills through potential social interactions with their peers and adults. 
​

These "5 Great Curriculum Starters" listed are just that, STARTERS. When planning daily activities, reflective practices are paramount. The use of different centres and manipulative's within a childcare environment are what create opportunities for meaningful play. Not listed in the infographic are imaginative play centers. These include dress-up, kitchens, tool benches, cleaning supplies, animal care kits, and more. 
​
ELECT (Early Learning For Every Child Today) is a valuable resource used by early childhood educators and childcare providers. This document outlines developmental domains and lists indicators of skills for each age group. As a next step, I encourage you to review social and emotional development for each age group. Linking "indicators of skills" to your specific curriculum can support how you view the children in your care. Hopefully, by observing and reflecting on "what's developmentally normal," you are better able to scaffold the children's learning. 

                Join me for a walk down memory lane. At the edge of the garden, I stand patiently as my Grandma Joyce ties a fruit basket with an old piece of rope around my waist. Once my handy basket is secure, I grab two plastic berry quarts and put them in the basket. In front of me are rows, upon rows raspberries. Now, these are not just any raspberries. These are blue raspberries. The biggest and sweetest raspberries you ever could eat! I'm not alone in my berry picking. With me is my brother Chris, my cousin Jessica, my other cousin Daniel, my aunt Valerie, my mom, and my Grandma. Sometimes neighbours came too but not today. My Grandpa is over checking out the other plants in the garden (likely squishing potato bugs…that's a memory for another time lol). Picking berries was a family event/contest. The girls: my cousin and I against the boys: Chris and Daniel. Clearly, the girls were the better pickers (haha sorry not sorry). We picked more quarts while not leaving precious berries behind on the bushes. 

                 Looking back on this memory, one of my favorite parts concerns not with the berries we picked but with the way my Grandma Joyce just "was." She praised us for our work (which she trusted us to do), encouraged us to laugh,  brought us together, and loved us with everything she could. This memory cost $0, yet it is one of my strongest childhood memories. 

One of my "learning" environments growing up was my Grandma's garden. The knowledge provided just by letting me tag along, giving me chores, and actively communicating her know-how had a massive impact on my life. As early childhood educators, we owe it to the children in our care to take them back to nature. Nature is more than just walking through a forest, or exploring a meadow. It's more than gardening or picking flowers. Nature teaches us about life and death, cause and effect, senses, respect, and most importantly, it supports positive emotional and physical well-being. 

A great first step is to incorporate gardening into your sensory play. Allowing children to: 

• dig in the dirt
• add water
• fill seed trays
• plant seeds
• spray water using a spray bottle
• decorate planting pots
• build raised beds
• decorate garden stones 
• pull weeds

​These are all things young children are capable of. Supervision is essential as plants can be delicate, and potting soil isn't for eating. Let's take a second to talk about "resources." Gardening supplies are considered a teaching resource when they are brought into the early year's environment. As with introducing anything new, it's best to start with baby steps. Introducing gardening books into the reading nook, introducing gardening tools in the sand area, talking about delicate and soft touches. Experiment using our "pincer grasp" and then finally adding a seed starting activity. If children are not given any skills or knowledge prior, they will inherently play "their way" and "their way" might be stressful for us as educators. An activity we've planned with stimulating, and delicate resources could be destroyed. Supporting the child to understand and respect living things does not interfere with the concept of "child-led play." Rather it scaffolds the child's prior knowledge while allowing for supervised exploration. Eventually, the new plants will be transplanted in the garden. As educators, we will then continue to communicate plant husbandry and allow children's minds to flourish with hypothesizes and wonder. 

We live in Canada… so our outdoor gardening season isn't very long. What can we do for the rest of the year? Having plants around our play spaces and throughout our homes allows children to feel connected to nature even when it's snowy outside. The benefits of houseplants transcend beyond just the child. They are crucial to our own feelings of well-being. 
Houseplants have incredible benefits beyond just being nice to look at. These include: ​

• cleaning the air in our homes (some are better than others. A quick google search for "air cleaning houseplants" will guide you in the right direction).
• improving mental health (just looking at greenery can make us happier)
• add humidity to the environment (especially good during winter months)
• they add oxygen back into the air
• they give your immune system a boost! Beneficial bacteria and chemicals are produced/released from plants. These compounds naturally reduce feelings of stress. When less stressed our bodies are able to sleep and function better. When we sleep better we aren't as susceptible to illnesses. GO PLANTS. 

I encourage having poisonous plants in your home and play space. Just be smart about it. The Peace Lily for example is the #1 best air purifying plant. It has striking green leaves and a super neat flower during it's bloom season. Nevertheless the Peace Lilly is considered poisonous (if consumed). This is a plant to put out of reach. The same way we put covers over electrical outlets vs. not having any electrical outlets. Having plants that are dangerous if eaten opens the door for multiple communication and teaching moments. 

If however you can only have "safe" plants in your environment here's a short list I hope you find useful: 

• Christmas Cactus​
• Boston Fern 
• Blue Echeveria (succulent family)
• African violets
• Baby rubber plant (the rubber plant is considered poisonous but the "baby" rubber plant is a non-toxic alternative)
• Swedish ivy 
• Prayer plant (this plant is super neat! the leaves fold up at night time…thus its name)
• wax plant (also known as porcelain flower)
• Spider plant (great for those who want a plant easy to propagate) 
• Basil- normally thought of as a garden plant, basil is easily grown indoors year round. 

Sources: 
              Positive Health Wellness,.(Sept.27/2018). 7 Science-backed benefits of having plants at home. sourced from:  https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-having-plants-at-home-2608386260.html

             D.Murray,. (March 16/2018). 20 Plants that are safe for children, cats and dogs. sourced from: https://www.hgtv.ca/green-living/photos/plants-child-pet-safe-1913786/# 

             ​  I have been trying lately to align what my core foundational theories are. When looking at current research concerning early childhood development, the top three approaches are #1. Reggio #2. Montessori #3. Emergent Curriculum. All of these approaches to building learning environments and teaching practices are quite similar. They all appreciate the need to build strong relationships in the early years. They all prefer more natural play materials, and finally, they all see the child as capable and competent. 

       Home childcare providers within Little Lambs are encouraged if not required to follow the above practices. HOWEVER intrinsically there is just something else happening in the home childcare environment. Something that the listed approaches don't cover. I haven't been able to put my finger on what that "thing" was until recently. While looking through my Spotify app, I found a new early years podcast (well…new to me). Kimberly @KSEYconsultancy founded the podcast titled "Hygge in the Early Years." 

     I'm hooked! Honestly, Kimberly is a breath of fresh air. AND her accent/tone makes her sound like one of the sweetest people on the planet. Kimberly's podcast is as much about early childhood learning and environments as it is about educators and their self-care and well-being. The foundation she has built for her early year's programs and her mentorship is based on a single word, "Hygge." 

"Hygge (pronounced hue-guh, not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, ordinary or extraordinary as cozy, charming or special." (S. Bennett, The Curiosity Approach). 

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my blankets. I sit curled up on the couch, mug in hand with my Hubby every single night. Guess what??? That's Hygge! Think twinkly lights, candles, the roar of a fire. Think warm drinks, blankets, and nurturing food. Think about being out in nature, enjoying all the seasons to the fullest: in as many ways possible. Think spending money on memories vs. things. Think relationships, socializing, laughter, and self-care. 

Hygge sounds like my life! It looks like what I believe home childcare can and should be. Going beyond the concept of environment and relationships, Hygge gives a term to how children feel while at the home childcare premises. It's truly a sense of well-being. The depth of relationships is vast in the Home Child Care Environment. Children from infancy to school age are cared for by a single childcare provider. During this time, they build strong relationships with the other daycare children as well as the providers own children. Often children will wave good-bye in the morning and greet the provider's partner again at the end of the day. These tertiary relationships are not something that happens in the daycare centre environment. 

         Over and over again, I have preached "non-institutionalized" environments in the early years. Homes are by their very essence "non-institutional." Even the most beautiful classrooms are still that…classrooms. Children will be in traditional education from Kindergarten through to High School and post-secondary education. Through our partnership with home childcare providers, we create incredible learning environments that support the development of responsive relationships that allow children to explore, grow, and learn. We do all of this while providing a cozy home environment. 
​
So when searching for

• what theory best aligns with my personal feelings? 
• what the environment should look like?
• how educators should interact with children?
• what our curriculum should be? 
• what plays a role in the well-being of children?
• how educators are thought of? 

​I found Hygge! 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I have enjoyed typing away under the comfort of my blanket ;)